Key facts
- Civil engineering has seen a significant increase in popularity among IIT aspirants for the 2026 admissions cycle.
- Top IITs like Bombay and Delhi reported much higher opening ranks for civil engineering compared to the previous year.
- This trend is attributed to students seeking stability and considering core engineering fields amidst AI advancements.
- Despite the rise of civil engineering, computer science remains the most sought-after program at leading IITs.
- Established IITs continue to dominate student preferences, with computer science programs at IIT Bombay, Delhi, and Madras maintaining high cut-offs.
Civil engineering has unexpectedly become a top choice for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) aspirants in the first round of seat allocations for 2026, with significant improvements in opening ranks at premier institutions. This shift indicates a potential recalibration of career priorities among students, who are increasingly looking beyond software-related fields towards traditional engineering disciplines for perceived long-term stability, especially in light of advancements in artificial intelligence.
At IIT Bombay, the opening rank for civil engineering surged to 385 for 2026 admissions, a substantial leap from 2,666 in the previous year. Similarly, IIT Delhi saw its civil engineering opening rank dramatically improve from 3,030 in 2025 to 179 in 2026. These changes were also noted at IIT Roorkee and IIT Bhubaneswar, signaling a renewed interest in core engineering branches.
Experts suggest that concerns about the impact of AI on future job markets are prompting students to seek more stable career paths. Bhushan Jamsandekar, an IIT Madras alumnus, noted that AI fears are accelerating this move towards core branches like civil engineering. Despite this trend, computer science engineering continues to hold its dominant position, with cut-off ranks remaining largely unchanged at leading IITs such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras.
Deepankar Choudhury, a civil engineering professor at IIT Bombay, stated that the changing preference was anticipated due to improving job opportunities in the sector. He highlighted strong campus placements across civil, structural, and environmental engineering disciplines, along with IIT Bombay Civil's top ranking in QS rankings and a favorable graduate-to-opportunity ratio driven by India's infrastructure growth.
Computer science programs at older IITs, including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras, continue to be highly competitive. IIT Bombay's computer science program opened at Rank 1 and closed at Rank 65, while IIT Delhi's opened at 35 and closed at 123. The trend also held for the female-only supernumerary category, with IIT Bombay closing at Rank 395.
Established IITs like IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Hyderabad also saw strong demand for their computer science programs. Newer IITs experienced notable shifts, particularly in female supernumerary seats, with some, like IIT Dharwad, seeing computer science seats become available over 3,200 places lower than the previous year. However, other newer IITs, such as IIT Goa and IIT Ropar, saw increased competition for computer science in certain categories.
Beyond civil and computer science, other programs also witnessed rank changes. Physics at IIT Kharagpur became more competitive, while biosciences at IIT Roorkee and chemical science and technology at IIT Patna saw lower entry ranks. IIT Patna recorded the most significant rank movements across its programs.